Send via SMS

Informaticopia

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

ITIN - BCS NSG Journal - Contents Vol 17 No 1

ITIN - BCS NSG Journal - Contents Vol 17 No 1

The latest edition of ITIN the official journal of the British Computer Society Nursing Specialist Group has just been published. It includes the full text of latest news and an abstract of an interesting article "Use of email by health-care workers in a mental health setting" by Pepita Stringer & Heather Wharrad

Thursday, March 24, 2005

HC05 report, blog & name

The Healthcare Computing conference is over for another year. I had an interesting if tiring time!

You can see some of my daily(ish) reports and activity on the blog.

Perhaps the most intesting bit for me was hearing Richard Granger announce the new name for the National Programe for IT (NPfIT) "Connecting for health" & a few minutes later typing this into a search engine and finding the US site which already has the name with a "service mark". This story was then subsequently picked up by some of the journalists & I'm still waiting to hear if that name is still to be used or will be changed by 1st April!

RCN: Information needs of nurses and other health professionals

RCN: News & Press article: Survey results into the information needs of nurses and other health professionals

This report describes the key results from the information needs analysis conducted by RCN Library and Information Services based on 1715 completed questionnaires.

Some of the conclusions from the report are:

• Nurses with best access to information are more likely to change practice as a result of research, which is likely to lead to improved patient care
• Employers’ attitudes are crucial
• Significant numbers are still reporting that they have no or limited access to computers at work
• Nurses in the independent or community sectors are more likely to report that they have less access to information
• Local and regional differences are reported in accessing information and the internet
• There is a high demand for value added services to help busy nurses find up to date, good quality, relevant evidence in manageable amounts
• Respondents want a hybrid service – physical and electronic libraries, librarians as well as online services.
• There is a very high demand for more information skills training.

Sunday, March 20, 2005

The Internet and Clinical Trials: Background, Online Resources, Examples and Issues

The Internet and Clinical Trials: Background, Online Resources, Examples and Issues

This article by James Paul, Rachael Seib and Todd Prescott in the Journal of Medical Internet Research shows parrallels in the development of the Internet and clinical trials and suggests how the Internet can be used for data sharing in large multicentre trails.

Yorkshire conferences

The Education Steps think tank has now finished (photo of participants below) & preparation is now underway for HC05 for which I will be doing daily(ish) reports and the blog.


Wednesday, March 16, 2005

? reduced posts for the next week

There may be less messages on this blog over the next week as I'm attending 2 conferences Education Steps and HC05 and I'm not sure what level of network access I will have available.

Most of my posts will be made on the HC05 conference blog - where you are welcome to comment and post your own thoughts whether you are attending the conference or not.

He@lth Information on the Internet - latest issue

Ingenta Select: table of contents -- He@lth Information on the Internet

The latest issue (Vol 43, Feb 05) is now available (via subscription) on the web. This issue includes;

TI: Information - rights and challenges
AU: Childs Sue

TI: Guide to dental resources on the Internet: Part 1
AU: Saha Shuva

TI: View from the front line: Email use and abuse
AU: Brown Harry

TI: Launch of the National Library for Health Web site
AU: Wilkie Fran

TI: Lifesign: making popular television work for online learning
AU: Garrison William

TI: Meeting the information needs of risk managers and clinical governance leads
AU: Murphy Jeannette

TI: What's new?
AU: Williamson Laurian

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

systematic review of decision support systems

systematic review of decision support systems

This review by Kensaku Kawamoto, Caitlin A Houlihan, E Andrew Balas and David F Lobach has been published in BMJ Online. It reports a review of 70 studies in the field and found decision support systems significantly improved clinical practice in 68% of trials.

The researchers identified 4 key factors; automatic provision of decision support as part of
clinician workflow, provision of recommendations rather than just assessments, provision of decision support at the time and location of decision making, and computer based decision support.
Of 32 systems possessing all four features, 30 (94%) significantly improved clinical practice.

Monday, March 14, 2005

CILIP | HLG Manifesto 2005/6

CILIP | HLG Manifesto 2005/6

The Health Libraries Group (part of the Chratered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) has published it's manifesto which aims to clarify the role of HLG and its future direction and aspirations, & is asking for comments and contributions by May 31 2005

Thinking Nurse: 'Blog Therapy' - An Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Phenomenon

Thinking Nurse: 'Blog Therapy' - An Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Phenomenon

This is an interesting article about the use of blogs as therapy.

It's well written by a student nurse, undertaking a learning disabilities course, and provides several interesting examples and a literature review of this emerging field, comparing the practice with private journal keeping which has been studied and advocated for some years.

A similar story was told by the Guardian in it's piece on Web Therapy on Feb 8th this year.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

HEFCE strategy for e-learning

HEFCE : Publications : 2005 : 2005/12 - HEFCE strategy for e-learning

The Higher Education Funding Councilo for England (HEFCE) has published it's 10 year strategy for e-learning.

On a first quick scan it touches on flexibility, sustainability, and personal learning environments - I will read more later & hopefully give a more coherent comment. In the meantime you could read the piece on this on the Auricle Blog

HC2005 - NPfIT is listening

It was announced today, by the BCS Health Informatics Forum, that the NHS National Programme for IT (NPfIT) "Clinical Leeds" will be meeting delegates at the HC2005 conference.

It is to be hoped that this increased openness by the National Programme, will reflect a desire to actively engage with the staff who are going to needs to use the products and services they introduce.

"The BCS HIF which organises the HC2005 Conference on March 21st to 23rd at Harrogate is delighted that the National Programme has suggested we have two sessions at which the new Clinical Leads will be available to meet delegates. This "meet the Clinical Leads" session will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday alongside the rest of the conference programme. www.bcshic.org It is an excellent sign of the desire by NPfIT to communicate with health service workers and to listen to their views. BCS HIF supports this openness and is very pleased to be able to help in this process. The clinical leads will also be a part of the Closing session in which Alan Burns will be talking."

I wonder if a minister will be added to the speakers list, if an election is announced during the conference?

Reactive to Adaptive: Transforming Hospitals with Digital Technology

Reactive to Adaptive: Transforming Hospitals with Digital Technology

This report from Price Waterhouse Coopers follows a study at the all-digital Indiana Heart Hospital, which opened in 2002, and found that the hospital had 85% fewer medication errors during its first year of operation than other cardiac facilities in the health system. It also experienced 65% fewer denials and delays from payers and a 45% reduction in medical transcription and dictation costs.

The report also found that digital hospitals had a shorter average length of
stay and a higher increase in operating revenues than national average
hospitals. Also, while physicians were once "barriers" to implementing
clinical information systems, more physicians, particularly those who are
younger, are beginning to support technology.

The full report is available in PDF

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Audit could be key to success of NPfIT

Audit could be key to success

This report from Computer Weekly suggests that an independent audit of the NPfIT would be it's "most important step", highlighting both positive and negative potential outcomes of a review, but suggesting it is needed for everyone.

Monday, March 07, 2005

Telemedicine for doctor-patient interaction is vanishing in the NHS, says ESRC

Telemedicine for doctor-patient interaction is vanishing in the NHS, says ESRC :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news from

This report from PublicTechnology.net describes a report 'Telehealthcare and the Future Patient' from the Centre for Health Services Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and colleagues funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

It suggests that "Despite high expectations, telemedicine and telehealthcare systems, which enable doctors to interact with patients many miles away via video, digital imaging and electronic data transmission, have had only limited impact on the National Health Service."

The full report is available in PDF from http://www.york.ac.uk/res/iht/projects/l218252067/MayFinalRptSummaryRefs.pdf

2nd Nightingale Seminar "Using Patient Data in Nursing Education and Patient Care"

2nd Nightingale Seminar "Using Patient Data in Nursing Education and Patient Care"

This exciting seminar, to be held on 14th April 2005 at University College Winchester, will provide expert speakers and a chance to discuss current issues in nursing informatics.

Education, training and professional development in Health Informatics in the UK

UK Health Informatics Today No 46 Spring 2005

The latest edition of UK Health Informatics Today has been published (in PDF) it contains personal reflective pieces from students who have been studying on 7 of the 15 graduate programmes in health informatics available in the UK. It highlights the students views of 1) Reasons for studying; 2) Benefits of studying; 3) What students valued; and 4) Advice to would-be students.

IT input for nurses

IT input for nurses

This article from EHealth Insider reports comments by Sharon Levy of the RCN, about the needs to nurses to have a greater understanding and involvement in the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS, and offers readers the chance to comment.

Friday, March 04, 2005

Data protection and freedom of information in medical practice

Data protection and freedom of information -- Meredith 330 (7490): 490 -- BMJ

Interesting editorial in this weeks BMJ about the balance between data protection and freedom of information, and whether legislation will be able to bring about culture change.

The edition also includes a letter suggesting that "Electronic data confidentiality practices among surgical trainees are unsafe"

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

IDX Carecast delayed at UCLH

NHS IT tsar steps in to rescue critical project
This report from Computer Weekly describes how Richard Granger has intervened in an attempt to get the IDX software Carecast sorted out before the opening of the new hospital.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Open access publishing

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Keystroke strategy for open access

This story in today's Guardian reports a on a conference exploring open access publishing of academic work and its possible implications for publishers.